Multiscale multiphase 3D printing of photonic devices and sensors for system health monitoring

Abstract

In this paper, we will discuss the development of 3D printing strategies which enable rapid 3D fabrication of polymer photonic devices and sensors with applications to system health monitoring (SHM). Two-photon polymerization (2PP) 3D printers with 100 nm spatial resolution are commercially available and have enabled the design and fabrication of integrated nano-to microscale polymer photonic devices. Such 3D printing approaches allow us to design truly 3D photonic devices, and this opens the door to fabrication of complex shaped devices that are often produced by methods such as inverse design. Specifically, we report the development of optically active resins that are compatible with two-photon polymerization. We will discuss multiscale 3D printing of photonic devices and sensors with both passive and optically active resins that exhibit both up and down conversion emission when pumped at 980 nm.